To be fair he didn’t stop WoT because it was confusing or complicated, but because he found every character to be unlikable, and for it to be full of cliches and tropes. So who knows this may be a different experience for him.
@@iSamwise no, he didmt like wheel of tome because he was sold that it was about men and woman and was so focused on the romantic angle that when that didnt hit it bothered him. I think he said that in one of the reviews after getting so stuck on the rough relationships between men and woman, essentially the way the theme was handled he didnt like it, and was sold something else
I think one of the primary reasons that most people enjoy the reread so much more is that you're no longer comparing the book to your expectations of what it would or should be, you just accept what is being offered on its own merit.
It's probably more a justification of effort effect. Humans don't like to waste effort it's expensive evolutionarily. So when you do something that's difficult, even if the easier option is better in every way. We tend to tell ourselves that we like the hard option more. Cults making it hard to join them so that when you do, you never want to leave is the go-to example.
Malazan is the Dark Souls or reading. Its hard unrelenting, and you have to be a certain kind of masochistic to love it.If you make that first connection and are hooked, there's no turning back, and it's hard to explain to casuals the full appeal.
I think it's really pathetic to call people "casuals" for not getting into a series. Yes, Malazan has a ton of great things about it but it also has a ton of issues. There are a lot of valid reasons to drop the series.
I’m a horrible person, I read DHG first (I really wanted to read Erickson it was the only one on shelves) and it hooked me easy. Yeah, it’s difficult, lots of stuff whooshed right over me, but I was in the emotions the whole time. The stakes are high and gutting.
@@fojoMy main problem with Malazan is that I just can not get invested in any character because there are so many and Erikson keeps most of them so distant from you that they all blend together. I relate to them about as much as I would relate to people in a history book. I may empathise with their plight but it doesn't emotionally affect me. I knew that in theory the Chain of Dogs was tragic and full of pathos but I just didn't care enough about any character to illicit a strong emotional reaction. If Malazan had the character writing of ASoIaF or RotE it would probably be my favourite series because so many other things about it are brilliant.
Here's the thing with Malazan: Erikson isn't going for Epic Fantasy; he's relating a history of nations. He isn't trying to push a button for an emotional response and that approach, for me, is more challenging and interesting than someone like Sanderson who works the reader toward a specific emotional response. It's easy to be spoon-fed, but Erikson doesn't let you off that easy. ;)
Really? One of the reasons I found Deadhouse Gates so grating is that the emotional moments felt spoon fed. I know what I was supposed to be feeling when reading Felisin's story. But that active knowledge of what Erikson is trying to do made it harder to care. In many ways I'd say telographing the emotional response he wants you to have is a major flaw in the writing.
So much fun that you're picking up this book. I just started my first read of Crippled God (the tenth and last book of MBotF) and I'm just here to say that, although I loved your video, I feel Malazan really should be reviewed as a series. And yes, first time reading Gardens of the Moon is a rough landing. And yes, it takes some puzzling and concentration, but I think it does not do it justice. I think in terms of expectations it helps to read the series as a story about a changing world in turmoil from a lot of different perspectives, rather than what we're used to (stories about a group, a person or a nation). I think the qualities of the series are: 1. The overall plot (it is not just the Malazan empire stirring, all the Gods are stirring) 2. It's emotional moments (and yes they truly start in Deadhouse Gates) 3. Erikson's work on themes both at the personal as well as the societal level 4. The intricate world building, original races, magic system (5. oh and the humorous banter)
really great response and the advice i didnt know i needed. im half way through memories of ice and while i do like malazan and the world building, i find myself losing interest and patience with this series. it is the most difficult book i've ever read and i think it is because im trying to read it as a traditional fantasy story.
I believe it's called Gardens of the Moon because Apsalar tells Crokus about the under water gardens on the real moon (not moon spawn) and how the god up there will take choosen people and allow them to live on the moon in peace with no wars.
Thank you for being awesome. That rating joke of 2.5 vs 1.5 was really clever. This book I am rereading this multiple times, each time I am reading I am progressing little by little. It’s like Ground Hog day movie with the book.
Love that you are trying Malazan! I struggled with the first book on my first try and didn't finish. Went back and got through it on the second try but didn't love it. However, by the end of the series it was easily my faviourite series of all time. Actually by the end of book 2 I knew that. I'm now enjoying a reread and it is truly a work of genius and it has ruined other fantasy for me. (Also, Gardens is an easy 5 stars on reread). Malazan combines all the best of fantasy - excellent prose, incredible world building, epic scale, over the top cool shit and incredibly poignant, moving moments and musings. Whilst I don't belive in reading something you're not enjoying, I will always encourage people to push on in Malazan because riches await the people who persevere.
I think one of the main themes in Gardens of the Moon is duty. It feels prominent throughout, from a military perspective, to the divine and faith, but also to family, friends and the wider community.
First time fantasy readers seem to handle this better than experienced as I've encountered. From the simple fact of they have no expectations of what fantasy is so this becomes the baseline and instead of unlearning and readjusting it is just the norm. I'm in the literally middle as of last night on my GotM re-read and oh man does it feel so obvious and clear! Ha! Good Luck Y'all!
I'm more of a (60s-80s) science fiction/sci fantasy reader and I have been having a very easy time with Malazan! Those old books just drop you right in with hardly any context, either. Only difference is, a lot of those old books are 170 page standalones, while Malazan is a 10,000 page series. There is so much to explore here. I'm spoiled. I'm used to it being over in 200 pages or less. I'm already used to this 'just go with it' style. The presence with Erikson writes is exhilarating. This man knows how to write a tense scene. (Half way through Memories of Ice, for context). And the rest of my fantasy consumption has been mainly Tolkien, Dunsany, Abercrombie and Guy Gavriel Kay. Also SOME Tad Williams and Ken Liu, but I DNFed their series. So I agree. I'm jumping in without many preconceived notions of modern fantasy. The Malazan structure really does it for me!
@@willp2877 now you dropped the Dandelion Dynasty? that first book i didn’t like. been told to do book 2, but the first one was just non-stop chronicles, history book. spoiler GotM: oh he does and in GotM there is this internal monologue with whiskey jack where he bits his cheek to spit blood and says ‘there, not so hard to look at’ after he just contemplated the death of citizens and friends he’s about to order in darujistan.
So stoked for Rich to do book 2. Suffering through the first 70-80% is so normal. You both experienced this first one about as anyone should or could 😂😂 glad you both gave it a shot and I’m excited to see Rich’s future thoughts. Austin, I totally get not wanting to continue-hopefully Rich’s book two experience gets you back on board. For reference deadhouse gates is my all time number 1 book (of all I’ve read) and I’m 4 books in to the series. I didn’t understand anything going on in book 2 until the emotional notes clicked. After that, everything was easier to just follow. Trusting the author was a big thing for me to get over but once I just let go of the wheel it worked.
We’ve heard such great things about Deadhouse Gates, this is great to hear. And definitely, if book 2 clicks with Rich and he gets me to read, we’ll see how rest of this goes 🤝
@@myself2noone noooo I’m referring to trusting the author to deliver on their promises. And the thing with Erikson is he makes a lot but distinguishes them very subtly
I'm going to push back against Rich saying Malazan isn't the place to start. I'm probably in the very small minority that basically started with Malazan. My fantasy reading before Malazan was ASOIAF, Broken Empire, and Red Queen's War. Then I read Gardens and Malazan set the standard for fantasy for me. I've yet to find another series that comes close to it for me, years later.
I've tried lotr and wheel of time and hated them. I wrote off the whole genre since those were the giants of fantasy. Someone said Erikson is like Faulkner and dostoevsky and it got me to check it out. The series is some of my favorite books across all of literature and I don't even want to read any more fantasy if it's not like malazan!
I’m really disappointed that you two didn’t like this. I had a hard time when I first read this and dnf’d it about halfway through. Just didn’t have the mental energy and I was reading WOT at the time so it just didn’t work for me. But then I finished wheel of time, saw a few reviews for this series, decided on a whim to buy all the books and give GOTM another shot. I’m so glad that I did, because gardens of the moon is probably one of the best first books in the series I’ve ever read. It is crazy enjoyable that is both complex and rewarding. The complexity is overblown by a lot of people, and it’s actually fairly easy to put the pieces together once you get into it but it’s just such a good book. Think I ended giving it a 8.8/10. The second book, dead house gates is somehow even better and while I would normally recommend it if you like the first book, I just don’t know if you’re too gentlemen will be able to vibe with the is series. Very sad but that’s how it goes 🤷♂️
@@IzzyZil20 Have you ever interacted with fans of the game studio Fromsoftware? They make games such as Elden Ring and Dark Souls. Fromsoftware fans are literally Malazan fans, except their thing is video games rather than books
@@IzzyZil20 Yeah there are a lot of good things in both communities, but also a lot of bad eggs that neither fandom deserves. I'm not a fan of either, but I agree, I feel sorry for them because I respect both a lot
One thing I think you really have to accept with Malazan is that it's as if you're reading an entire body of mythology for a different world. Some stories and characters within that scope, you'll connect with more than others. Sometimes it's just Zeus turning into a bull and bedding a maiden. Sometimes it's the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece. What's hilarious (and true), is you have to read ALL 10 BOOKS to really "get" the series (no pressure). For what it's worth, the jump in quality from book 1 to book 2 is almost as big as Empire of Silence to Howling Dark. Hopefully you guys will continue the series and enjoy it more as you progress. You must meet Karsa Orlong. WItness!
Glad to see my goat get some love! It took me 4+ years to get through just Book of the Fallen. Key to getting through it all is long breaks between books.
Can't help feeling disappointment by your disappointment 😂 I loved this book so much - I was reading it and feeling "omg this is so cool" throughout. I didn't really expect a resolution given the long series. If you continue, I hope it ends up growing on you.
Malazan is my favourite fantasy series probably ever and I just wanna say some stuff, I don't know how long will this be, so sorry in advance for the huge text? 1.- I don't know where the fanbase opinion came from, I think people around Malazan tend to be very kind and understanding of the fact that people have lives. Places like Reddit and malazan yt channels prove that, they can help people the first time through without spoiling anything (i did it myself). Malazan fans know this series takes time to digest and that it doesn't follow the "usual" aproach in terms of narrative, plot, worldbuilding or character development which is where the difficulty facet comes from, but also why it is so damn awesome. 2.- I genuinely think that Malazan is not hard to read: You can get a general idea of what happens on each book, the issue here is that, as I said, it doesn't help you understanding what is going on behind the scene, and I love it, but for some people this means there is a lot of crap between the good parts, which may let them feel kind of meh~ about it. Other series are so used to copy some tropes and structures that it's almost boring sometimes cause you know how it's all gonna end. Reading Malazan is completely the opposite, you just don't know what to expect, you have to flow with it and trust Erikson and maybe he delivers maybe he doesn't, but it's so vast it has something for everyone. 3.- Just in case you go on with the series, I love reading Malazan analyzing what each scene makes me feel, like: why did I like/not like this part? What happened here? Why did it happen? What could the consecuences be? Because, as Caleb kind of said during the chat, I think one of the most interesting things Malazan has is the fact that every discussion you hear is different. It throws at you so much info that you can digress on so many things: how did you feel reading it, what is actually happening on the scene, a particular character or how it reacts to some situation, themes, resemblance, emotions, cunfusion... 4.- I also understand that it's maybe too much info sometimes, but it also gives it a re reading value that you can only understand when you get there, because, normally, in a series it's like little details, a sentence, a character in the background or things that make you go, this mdfk author told me this 3 books ahead and I didn't get the clue. Malazan gives you most of the information most of the times (kind of a reverse RAFO?, you already know, now let's try to understand it), but now you are used to the language it uses, and now you understand what it really means, which is something I haven't found in any other series, or at least not as frequent and powerful as Malazan does. 5.- Regarding the prose: It's so well written I hate it. It's so beautiful that, and I think Caleb also said this, it transports you to the scene. You are there. And it is something you get really used to, but that not many authors are capable of, and I hate it because I came to Malazan after DNF'ing WoT, hating it with every part of my heart and soul, but I loved Sanderson, for example, but since I read Malazan, reading Sanderson feels... weird? And it's basically due to the prose. Idk how to express this feeling, but I have seen other people saying this and I can't agree more. 6.- Characterwise, I think it makes an amazing job letting you know exactly where and within whose mind you are in without even telling you who is the narrator, and I really love it, because it makes you feel smart when you know who you are, but it can also feel confusing at times, so just wanted to point it out, maybe you feel it, maybe you don't, but now at least you may know why. There is much more to talk about character development and this kind of stuff, but it would probably feel like spoiling stuff and I don't want to do that. 7.- I encourage you to give the second book a chance and if you don't like it, then don't continue. But although I loved Malazan since I read GotM, many people say it's the weakest of the series (I disagree, but it's true that the rest have a more similar structure that I can understand where this is coming from and maybe you prefer that over what GotM does). 8.- No one asked, but I agree with Caleb when he said all Malazan books are 5/5, how the world feels everytime you come back is on a whole another level. I am not, by any means, trying to say they are perfect, there are books I didn't understand until my second read through- But the feelings I got everytime I came back starting a new book (it took me like 20 months to complete the main 10 the first time), it literally felt like home, and I honestly hope everyone gets to feel like that towards any series they enjoy, happy reading to all and nice chat! PD.- Idk much about you personally since it's the first video I've watched, but honestly, if you have read only the first ACOTAR book, you should read the rest, they are soooo much better, especially books 2 and 4. Those are amazing books.
Thanks for all the comments here - appreciate it! And having each book immerse you as much as it did for you, I can imagine that being just an awesome experience
I’ve never had a feeling of epicness on the level of this book. I love that I have no idea what is going on with the magic or gods. It’s like I’m slowly being exposed to this massive system and history.
I totally get where you're coming from with Gardens of the Moon. I struggled with it too at first, but I stuck with it, and now I'm on the sixth book, The Bonehunters. It's become my favorite series ever! I did some digging and found a few tricks that helped me really get into Malazan. Here are some tips that worked for me: 1. Enjoy the current scene: Trying to connect every scene to the bigger plot can be super confusing and frustrating. Instead, I started focusing on the current scene and enjoying Erikson's amazing prose and the vivid scene he creates. Trust that Erikson knows what he's doing - if you relax and just go with the flow, things will eventually click, and it’s always worth it. 2. Think of each scene as a short story: I learned from A Critical Dragon's channel that Erikson writes scenes like short stories, full of layers and meaning. When I read, I ask myself what the sentence or paragraph means and what else it could mean. This helps me go a few layers deeper and appreciate the story more. The puzzle building aspect of Malazan which fans love. 3. Use Malazwiki carefully: I use it sparingly to avoid spoilers. These tips have made my reading experience so much better and helped me fall in love with Malazan. Hope they help you too! Keep at it - the journey is incredible once you get into it!
Speaking to your first point, if you are meant to know something, Erikson WILL bring it up again. It's not the big stuff that's hidden, it's the subtle nods and details that make you realize that he was planting seeds for books 9 and 10 in books 1-3.
I started Malazan just over 6 years ago as my first foray into fantasy. Needless to say, I gave up shortly into chapter 2. After reading at least 10 books a year (27 last year), I finally decided it was time to re-open Malazan and give it a shot. I found it confusing and chaotic, but once I just accepted that I won't know what is going on all of the time, take things scene by scene, and just decided to enjoy the ride, I ended up really enjoying it. After finishing Wheel of Time last year, I couldn't find a book series that peaked my interest in the same way until picking up Gardens of the Moon again.
i read malazan as one of my first fantasy reads and i honestly feel like that helped me with getting into the book/serires because i had no preconceived notions or ideas on how a fantasy series should flow or be structured. It really is one of those stories where you just have to trust the author knows what he's doing and trust in yourself that you'll piece it together as you go. because you will, it just takes time.
I struggled through Gotm and Dhg because i just didnt care about the majority of the characters. Ericksons writing style just feels so removed and clinical that i couldn't connect with a lot of them. A lot of elitests say the complexity is the issue for most people but I honestly think it's Erickson's writing style that people bounce off of.
This world is alive. Reader's are thrown into the situation they don't understand. But the characters do, or atleast some of them. They don't get things explained, so you don't too. Events are happening outside the things you read about and a lot of the background is blurred, skewed by perspectives of POV's, because that's how history and time works.
Yeah, but the themes are explained to you like you're 5 years old on every page. A normal fantasy series does the opposite. The world building is obvious, but the theams need to be worked out. And I don't get the point of that. Aren't you bored by the same idea being repeated until you can slog through the ending? Whatever. I read for ideas and themes, not just world building. But I guess it's fair that you have a series that works for you the same way most others do for me.
I had started this series sometime last year when I was starting a new job. I took one month to read just the first 100 pages. Eventually my job pressure was so high that I just couldn't concentrate on Malazan so I dropped it. Sometime next year I am planning to restart this series. Hopefully it goes better this time
I'm surprised caleb didn't go into a mental breakdown for trashing one of his favorite book so much. I think bringing guests that are familiar with the series while you guys review the first book is great
I read gardens of the moon a week ago and loved it but I def think it’s a very hit or miss kind of book. I’m honestly a lil suprised he got a publisher on board with this book
Kruppe alone makes this book worth the price of admission 😂 Having only read the first two books, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess he’s waaaayy more powerful and crafty than we’ll ever realize…
Think it would be very fun to watch you have a discussion with the Jeff and Lana from DLC Bookclub. They are going through all the Malazan books of the main series and their experience of the first book was different.
I CANNOT WAIT for you to read book 2. Deadhouse Gates is where most readers find their footing in Malazan. One of the best storylines in the entire series.
26:10 - 26:20 Lol, this bit of clarification reminds me of: 'The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon.' (100 points to anyone who gets that reference, likely no one. I'm a nerd.)
Gardens of the Moon was a 5/5 for me, it's a bit batshit crazy but that's exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. So many incredible scenes and Erikson's prose is so tight in this one.
I'm super curious, I've been tempted to buy the first book but I'm waiting for a calmer time in my tbr when I can just relax and enjoy the long journey of these books. I think I'll love them for everything that's been said. Next year will be WoT, starting January, so Malazan still has to wait a bit. Great episode! ✨
I think Austin would really enjoy book 3, Memories of Ice, it feels very Stormlight and has some of the best action pieces in the series. It's also much more focused, where right from very early on you know what the endgame of this story is, that's not to say it's predictable, cuz it certainly isn't. It's also the point in the series where the themes start to really take the forefront, and during the emotional climax of the book, a character even just straight up gives Erikson's thesis statement for the entire series in what's quite possibly the most well-known quote in the series. It's also the only Malazan book to make me cry with full-on tears, and it did it twice, and I basically never cry when reading. Honestly, if you wanted to, you could just jump right into it right after GotM. It's a direct sequel to GotM and was actually intended to be the original second book in the series. Unfortunately, his file corrupted while he was writing it, so he decided to just jump into Deadhouse Gates instead. Some Malazan fans will crucify me, but I think the series has way better onboarding if you swap books 2 and 3. They take place roughly concurrently, and neither of them spoil the other and more than the other. Plus, I think Memories of Ice is much more indicative of the tone of the rest of the series than anything else in the first three books. I genuinely think y'all will love it, Memories of Ice is that one book in the series where basically everyone recognizes that it's one of if not the best in the series.
Woah that would be a strange reading order - you’re the first to suggest this! It goes against every natural inclination in our bodies, but is this how uou read it?
Welcome to the party boys!! Read GOTM three times before I moved on the DG, which I read twice. Once I got to the end of DG, I felt aha, a bit. Anyway I haven't had the time to move forward, too many other commitments, but now appreciate it.
Thats one thing that might hold me back - Im not a rereader (even my favorite books ever) - I rarely go back to reread, and seems like Malazan might need that -A
I've read Gardens of the Moon a few years ago, hated it, and now I'm amazed that all that is left from the book for me is the dislike. I don't remember anything from the plot, I don't remember the characters, anything. Listening to this review was like listening to a review of a book I've never heard of XD
Just finished the First ten books in the malazan series. Absolutely worth the read!! Also concerning your comment on Paran taking revenge on Tayschrenn, it makes absolutely no sense for the events because Tayschrenn is a High Mage. Paran would be killed before he could even dream of revenge. But Lorn was a skilled swordswoman at best, and Paran decided she was a much easier target than a frigging High Mage. So yeah, going after Lorn was the more sensible thing to do
I read The Malazan series last year and i feel like a God-tier reader now…and am. Readers, lend me your bookmarks and let the Malazan series lead you to the promise land bhwahahahaha
I've bounced off this book three or so times now, all very early on. Quite literally, I couldn't get past page one of the physical book (though I'm going to try that again because it was MMP and I hate(d) those), had no desire to pick it up again on ten or so pages into the ebook, and stopped 15 minutes into the audiobook. Going to listen to the video though and see if spoilers help here like they did in WoT. As a sidenote, I just read Will of the Many, it was so fun. I read it in a single day. Looking forward to your review.
My favourite series and book 2 is only second to book 10 in my opinion. I don't know how he wrote them in such a relatively short space of time - it took me almost as long to read them. Genius.
I enjoyed reminiscing about GotM with this podcast, even though you guys were haters. 😂 I can't believe it's been almost 4 years since I read this book! It's almost time for a re-read. I bet I will understand everything!
I don't usually watch the spoiler part i haven't read the book. I've not read the series but I've been intrigued for a while. After watching the spoiler section and knowing that the next few books are completely different i don't feel spoiled at all I still have no idea if this series is for me.
I like that you are reviewing this book. I'm curious as to how well Rich will like Deadhouse Gates. I was probably 3 or 4 out of 5 stars for Gardens of the Moon, mainly due to the fact I could see the awesome fantasy aspects in the worldbuilding, races/magic/battles/politics/etc. that it was a good balance out for my confusion as to what is happening. I've finished through book 6 and there's a lot of confusion still. I think it's because there's so much going on that I cannot keep track of it all.
I think I'm an oddity, but if push came to shove, I think my favorite is Midnight Tides (book 5) slightly edging out Memories of Ice (book 3) which slightly edges out House of Chains (book 4). What I'm finding, which can really impact a favorite, is that even though I'm confused on some things the layers of story and characters slowly come together and merge with some "AH HA!" type moments that are really cool when you connect A to B to C. My difficulty in moving forward is that these things are CHONKERS and the prose, while masterful, is very dense. You could easily miss something if not paying attention and so my mindset needs to be right before I dig into my next book, Reapers Gale.
Malazan grabbed me and is dragging me along for the ride! I have no idea what’s happening but thats not a problem for me haha. Also he’s willing please get Caleb back on at some point he’s such an asset and he’s such a good person.
I think my biggest disagreement comes with the shared opinion of the world depth 😬 I think that yes, it’s as WIDE as my aunt Susan, but also incredibly deep with reference to past gods, events, wars, like everything you could want. It’s just a LOT of deep.
Fair - we know it’s deep but just arent aware of the depth yet in a way. Im certain Erikson has a world as in depth as anyone out there, just we didnt get to feel as immersed, at least in book 1
I think that the second book will at least work better for you. Not only is it just better in character, plot and prose but in GotM a lot of the confusing parts take away from the story if you dontt know what they mean, and in Deadhouse gates they do that a lot less. For example one thing you brought up was how the magic felt very out of nowhere because he never tells you the rules, and in dg, you understand the magic more, and there use of it is less intrusive and used as the solution to less.
As an outsider, the complexity and number of characters leads me to believe that it is the world that matters. Everything else such as plot, character arches, and action are the window dressing.
Imagine if you were appointed as Malazan Ambassador to 2ToRamble. What an honor. So much pressure. And then they don't even like the book. That would be wild...
If you're looking for a complex multi-POV book that tells some very interesting stories along a central theme/throughline I would HIGHLY recommend Adrian Tchaikovsky's City of Last Chances. Lots of people describe it as a "fantasy version of Les Miz"
My main issue with Malazan is the themes oscillate between phudo-profound sounding bullshit and trite nonsense. Often just called a deepity, it makes it really hard to get invested in what's going on.
I am planning to start Malazan this year. I have read both TWOT and the Silmarillion without much of an issue but i already knew what i was coming into, with Malazan i'm a bit lost so i don't know what to expect. TWOT "slog" were like 3-4 entire books and i have to admit that if it were an ongoing series with me waiting for each book i would probably have dropped it, not because of the "complexity" of the story but just because the boring plot those books was quite a challenge. So if the only "slog" in this series is the 1st book i am somewhat relieved and maybe i can get through with the knowledge that what is to come is great. I just hope there's no character like Egwene in this series... God, how insufferable she was...
@KALtheHighstorm117 they talk about how the magic isn't explained and how it seems to just solve problems in the plot (similar to gandalf's magic). And Austin brings up a point about Sanderson's magic. I do feel like Malazan does explain the magic enough, and as the series goes you get more. But even the mages in the story never really fully understand magic cause it's so alien. And there are rules like most mages can only use one type of magic but you know a character must be crazy powerful if they can use 7 types.
@@germanicusternus1982 Oh okay, your comment makes sense now. At first, I thought you were trying to hate on Sanderson, and I was really confused why you were doing that here. But I understand now. Thanks!
I've read the first 5 and there are times where I feel like I'm getting into it but then there are times I'm not like 100% focused and I'm like do I just start this book over? The times where one sentence is like a paragraph long and you go what the heck did I just read... you either enjoy that or you're like screw this.
Lol you two are very honest about what you read. You actually gave me more insight on how the book is like than most fans. It sounds like it's too much for no real reason other than just to be challenging. Hopefully I will like it but I don't mend well with books that demand 1000% from me, it's why I like short literary sci-fi fiction.
You guys should reach out to Steven Erikson. He does interviews with youtubers all the time and i think a conversation could be interesting even if you don’t go beyond Gardens.
Also, my failed attempts at reading this were because I tried listening to it first. I love listening to fantasy before bed but if I fall asleep those 10 minutes lost could be critical.
I was really on board with this series in the beginning, but by book 7 it started to lose me. The Crippled God I felt really let down by, didn't stick the landing for me at all. I'm super happy for everyone else that loved the ending, I'm just not one of them.
I’ve read the first 6 ½ so far (have been halfway through book 7 for like 5 months. I was really enjoying but I kinda just fell off reading in general so it’s not really a Malazan thing) but Gardens of the Moon was my favorite in the series so far.
Didnt read the book, listened to the spoiler talk, and understood absolutely nothing. As a matter of fact, I think my understanding of some fantasy cliches deteoriated listening to the spoiler talk, absolutely opposite of what spoilers are supposed to do
Stopped during book 4 cause it wss too much work. Great book series but i have two special needs kids and i dont want to have a book thats a 2nd job LOL
When i read this book i was thinking this Will be horrible, but i was wrong. I enjoyed so much this book 😂, even with all the confuses things. It was an amazing experience
Don't love Gardens of the Moon, I'm like 80% through and I just want to quit. I feel like the prose and worldbuilding are the best, but it just bounces around too much for me to care about the plot or the characters. This book has a bunch of scenes that mean next to nothing and bore you senseless followed by a completely unrelated bunch of crazy stuff blowing up. If I don't have context for the scene I don't care, and I don't want to have to read the book twice to know what's going on because the author didn't bother to set the scene. I just read the first Mistborn book before this and I think I'm going to stick with Sanderson.
The first 70 percent of this book is confusing and weird but I loved the climax of this book. Deadhouse gates is one of the best books I’ve ever read and the way that Erickson writes woman is so refreshing and different. Authors like Brandon and Robert Jordan try way too hard and a lot of times it falls flat.
